Acer...not such an ace.

I knit Acer quickly.

But quickly done doesn't necessarily mean happy.

 

In my opinion, it's too big.  Wearable but big.  Sleeves are too wide.  Body too big around.  Maybe too long.

Going in I knew the neckline tended to be big and open and I used 2 sizes smaller needles and did a cable cast-on.  That seemed to help tighten things up a bit.

The sleeves would have been several inches to long if I had followed the pattern.  The sleeve directions might have worked for smaller diameter sleeves but not on these honking huge ones.

I'll always love Peace Fleece yarn but this batch had more knots than I've ever seen before.  And an exceptional amount of vegetable material too.  I was a little surprised.  I do love the color though and actually the pictures are pretty accurate in that respect.

The buttons are LaMode and were purchased in a rush while DH waited in the car.  I love the buttons.  I think they look good with the color.  Just about the only thing I do like about this sweater.

I'll wear it.  It even fits over a sweatshirt so if I'm freezing it'll be the sweater I reach for.  I'm just afraid I won't do that reaching very often.

Finally finished and in the mail actually.

So.

Here they are.

Started over a year ago.

Intended for LAST year's Christmas.

I'm sure 2nd DS thought he'd never see them.

But they are done and in the mail.  I checked tracking and they are within a day or two of delivery.  So with a bit of luck he'll have them before Thanksgiving. 

Thank goodness!

And here is the start on the 4th pair of Northman mittens.  This pair is for my sister.  She demanded requested them by LAST January.  Yea.  She didn't get them.  Maybe this January.  If she's lucky.  Or I'm lucky.  One or the other.

Sorry about the horrid picture.  They are charcoal grey and off white.  Not that you can tell by this.

This is what I really want to be knitting on.  Acer is the pattern and Peace Fleece is the yarn.  I don't even have a Ravelry page for it yet. 

It is getting close to the body being finished and then just the sleeves.  And finding buttons that I'm happy with...

And just because, here's Teddy. 

Smile Teddy!  You're on candid camera!

Actual knitting content

Yes.  I'm sticking with the blogging.*

Since the name of this blog is Marilyn Knits I thought I might need to prove it....

And so...ta da...here is the latest Iceling Sweater Set.  Ravelry link. 

Cardigan.  Size 6 months.

Mittens with a cord to keep the new mom & dad from losing them.  Infant size.

Iceling hat without the turn up band.  Baby size.

The baby's dad is a nephew on DH's side of the family.  The baby is a sweet little fellow.  Already wearing a Viking shirt to go with his Dad's for those football watching sessions.

In other knitting news, I just have to bind off the shawl mentioned in this post.  I'll be so very happy when it's done.  As it turns out, unless I fall completely in love after I block it, I don't really care all that much for this shawl.  To small and no lace.  I knew that going in but I was in denial and I'd struggled to find a pattern to start with so I was happy just to find anything that the yarn agreed to be. 

 *After visiting with a couple dear people that explained how search engines work, I decided to continue but just keep in mind everything and I mean everything that goes into a post goes on to the great big www.

Cookie made me do it!

Yes, Cookie threatened me and made me finish the sweater and start the hat for my niece's baby boy that is due on March 10th.  That Cookie!!

I had the sweater mostly done.  I was at the row right before the 1st button holes.  And it's garter stitch for pete's sake.  It doesn't take long to do.

I usually have a hard time finding buttons that I like but I think I hit on some cute ones this time.  I wonder what it is supposed to be though...it's got ears like a bear and stripes like a tiger...doesn't matter I guess...it's pretty adorable.

I got this hat started this afternoon.  I should get it done by tonight and then give everything a nice soak so it's pretty and clean for the new little guy.

Maybe if the weather holds, (we are in a winter weather watch for Monday), I'll even get this in the mail on Monday.

So even though I had to ice my hinder for awhile after Cookie kicked me (ouch!) I do appreciate that she got me to finish this.  Maybe it'll get to New Jersey before the little fellow arrives....

Decisions. Decisions.

There have been a few decisions made and quite a few more yet to be done.

This is Moldova Burgundy from Peace Fleece. I love Peace Fleece yarn for cardigans and that is just what this is going to be. I decided at the end of the winter that I needed another cardigan and got this ordered. Now to decide what pattern!

The yarn is firm and has good shape and body when knit and the touch of mohair gives it a little fuzzy halo when washed. It does itch just a bit though so a turtleneck is in order for me.

These adorable little balls are also from Peace Fleece and if I can bear to use them and not just keep them to look at, some might be used as a bit of decoration on the cardigan.

This will be the most fun decision of all! I won this yarn from our sweetheart, Karen. I was the 2,500th comment on her blog. Karen....that is a lot of comments! And Karen, you must know me pretty well because you got the colors exactly right. I will so enjoy deciding what to knit with this yarn. And yes, I think it did spark my mojo! :D

I really really want to design a lace shawl and so when I found out about this book I just had to have it. It has good basics and combined with other things I've found online I just might be able to do a design for myself. Only time will tell.

And so when I decided to buy the book above there was yarn for sale on the same website! How convenient is that? ;) I found this pretty plum laceweight and decided to order it also. It is one honking big ball....1500 yds worth!

This is Wollmeise yarn. I'm a fan of The Loopy Ewe online yarn shop. On occasion there is a bit of this yarn for sale. But only if you are aware of when it is available and then you have to be as quick as a bunny to get any of it. It sells like hotcakes. And so when I saw on Facebook that there was some for sale I decided then and there that I "needed" to see what all the fuss was about!

Since there are days and days of rain in the forecast...(Trust me it's a good thing! We need rain like crazy. The soybeans don't want to pop through because there is a crust on top of the soil from the last rain and it needs to get softened up asap!)...I decided to snap a few pictures of the peonies.

There's lots of buds...

on both bushes. But they'll be flat on the ground and turning brown if it rains as much as forecast so I'll have them in picture if not in real life!

Can you almost smell them?

Sweet baby set

A great niece is having a baby boy in December. Perfect reason to knit another Iceling set!

The info on all the pieces are on Ravelry. Just click the linkies. This is the hat.

The mittens aren't included in the Iceling set but are Basic Baby Mittens by Kari Salvatore. They are just right and I did a single crochet chain with a size 7 hook to connect them to each other. Just trying to cut down on the chance of mitten lossage!

I was hoping to get the whole set out of 2 skeins of yarn and so when I had one mitten knit there was the decision of taking a chance on the bit of scrap of yarn left or breaking into that extra 3rd skein. I weighed the finished mitten and then weighed the yarn scrap. The both weighed the same.... Well I decided to live dangerously and go for it.

And this is the amount of yarn left after I finished the second mitten. Phew!!

The cardigan just tickles me. I think it looks like a little teeny tiny blue blazer. So grownup for a brand new baby...

I even found the silver crest buttons for it.

It looks so cozy and warm...perfect for a winter time baby.

Good morning!

It's that time of year when I'm actually up to see a sunrise!

It really is a nice time of day...

The 3rd Iceling is coming along... So many boy babies in our life... Whoever is in charge of these things, maybe the next baby that comes into our lives could be a girl?? Just hoping...

Deer hunting season opens at noon today. I wish everyone good luck but please be safe and also know what you are shooting at before you pull the trigger. And for the out of state hunters, please don't leave your vehicle parked in the middle of the road with your doors open. Other people drive on the gravel roads too...we aren't as nonpopulated as you might think!

Better, I think. What do you think??

I found new buttons.

I think they are better.

Before.

And after. I like after better. What do you think?

Also....

here is Teddy, the sock model, showing off my finished Cartoon socks. They ended up kinda matchy, matchy.

How in the world did that happen?

I've been knitting...but opinions are needed.

My Basic Chic Hoodie is finished. Ravelry info here.

Buttons have been installed.

It's been soaked, blocked and even worn once.

It is like a warm hug when you have it on. So very soft and cozy.

But I need some opinions on those buttons. Are they too big? It seems like when I put it on, all I see are the buttons. I don't notice the lace or any other thing about it...just the buttons. Are they wrong somehow for this sweater? Should I go on another button hunt?

I made myself some fingerless mitts. They seem to be all the rage. And so I followed the herd. But I wonder at their practicality...especially for someone who has cold fingers and not so much cold hands or wrists!

But maybe they will be good at work this winter. They were fun to knit and quick as a bunny!

There is yet another Iceling in my future. Everyone seems to be having boys! This one will look like a double breasted navy blue blazer. And since the baby is due in December, I'll make the hat and I found patterns for thumbless mittens and booties and will make them also depending on leftover yarn amounts.

And these poor socks have been started once going toe up and they ended up just huge so I frogged and now they are the usual pattern and a size smaller needle. Now I'm afraid it might be a little small. Uff.

Anyway, let me know what you think about those buttons.

This 'n That

The Basic Chic Hoodie is really coming along now! Even Claus had to check it out...

I thought the hood was going to take forever to finish. But the hood is done! Finally! Yay!

Here is a better picture so you can actually see that I have both sleeves finished...

Oh! And a big Thank You to Kym for putting in her notes on Ravelry, about the Hoodie she did for Erin, how many stitches she picked up. (Not good sentence structure but I can't think how to improve it right now.) Amazing amount of help for me...cuz I made mine longer too.

I've got one side of the button band picked up and have done a couple rows. When that is done the next question will be how many buttons do I want and then to figure out the buttonhole placing...I don't really like the buttonhole part...

And the kitties are again bird watching or maybe squirrel or gopher watching. Both squirrels and gophers come right up to the window so the kitties get a really good look at them. There are tails really twitching then!

It is so sunny and calm out. I should get out and whack down the flowerbeds for the winter. And I should go do quarterly reports at work. And I should clean the kitties' litter boxes. But what I really want to do is work on my cardigan.